It has been a record-breaking season of outreach for the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council (GRYC), and now even more children and families are expected to benefit from the program next year.

With funding from the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development along with dozens of local elected officials, the organization is expecting a $4 million expansion for the 2015 fiscal year. This will allow the organization to serve nearly 1,300 children in day camps, 1,000 summer youth employment program participants and over 170 adult staff supervisors.

GRYC president Bob Monahan said the dedicated support from Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley is just one of many reasons how the decades-old youth organization is still alive and thriving today.

“Through [Crowley’s] efforts and those of other elected officials, the GRYC will impact on the lives of over 2,500 families a day, “ Monahan said, announcing the news for program expansion. “What a great thing this is.”

The GRYC was founded in 1980 and provides summer day camps for the youth of District 30 at P.S. 60 in Woodhaven, St. Pancras in Glendale, P.S. 128 in Middle Village, the Notre Dame Academy in Maspeth and I.S. 93 in Ridgewood.

Crowley, the Queens Delegation and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz previously helped the GRYC purchase its own headquarters and save nearly $200,000 in funds put back into the program for additional youth services.

That along with the additional funding has allowed new junior high school initiatives in P.S./I.S. 128, Middle Village Prep and P.S./I.S. 87 in Middle Village as well as the continuation of service at P.S. 306 in Woodhaven, P.S. 88 in Glendale, P.S. 153 in Maspeth and I.S. 93 & I.S. 77 in Ridgewood.

GRYC also expects to provide universal prekindergarten to 54 students at Little Stars on Summerfield Street, 36 students at St. Pancras and 30 students at Notre Dame Academy.

“We have a responsibility to provide constructive opportunities for our youth, especially when school’s out,” Crowley said. “Through partnerships with the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council and organizations across Queens, we are laying important groundwork for our city’s future.”